Rich Kid DUI, Gets 10 Years Probation For 4 Deaths

According toTIME, a 16-year-old in Keller, Texas was convicted of manslaughter after driving drunk and crashing into another vehicle that resulted in the death of four people. Because the kid is rich and suffers from “affluenza”, he wounded up getting 10 years of probation and mandatory psychological treatment.

A·fflu·en·za

[aa-floo-en-zah]

noun

1. In Layman’s terms: being so spoiled with wealth that you demand more, all while believing there are no consequences; the effects of greed.

On the night of June 15, Ethan Couch and his seven teenage friends hopped in his Ford F-150 after they stole and drank some liquor from WalMart. With alcohol and Valium stirring in his system, Couch drove 70 miles per hour in a 40 mph zone; he ended up crashing his truck into a broken down vehicle parked on Burleson, Texas road, killing Breanna Mithcless, 24, the stopped vehicle’s driver, along with three others that were helping her. Two of Couch’s friends that were sitting in the truck bed suffered critical injuries.

Couch admitted in court he was driving drunk, and testimony showed that his blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit (0.24 BAC).

Couch’s legal team argued that the teenager’s lack of judgment was due to poor parenting. Psychologist Dr. Gary Miller, who was assigned to Couch, said in the courtroom that: “The teen never learned to say that you’re sorry if you hurt someone.”

”If you hurt someone, you sent him money.” Miller added, saying that Couch’s “intellectual age” was that of an 18-year-old boy, but his “emotional age” was that of a 12-year-old.

“He never learned that sometimes you don’t get your way,”

“He had the cars and he had the money. He had freedoms that no young man would be able to handle.”

According to Couch’s legal team, Couch suffers from affluenza – State District Judge Jean Boyd believed it; instead of the initial Texas sentencing guideline for fines up to $10,000 and between 2 and 20 years in the state penitentiary, on Tuesday, Couch got 10 years of probation. He was also assigned to a Southern California rehabilitation center, which costs $500,000 a year. His father said he’d pay for it. If Couch happens to mess up again, he could wind up in jail for 10 years, according to a statement from the Tarrant County District Attorney.

Judge Boyd agreed that the therapy Couch needs for his affluenza wouldn’t be provided to him in prison.

Eric Boyles, the man who lost his wife and daughter Holly and Shelby due to the crash, said that Couch’s wealth bought him justice.

“Ultimately today, I felt that money did prevail,” Boyles told the Star-Telegram after the sentencing.

“If [he] had been any other youth, I feel like the circumstances would have been different.”

According to the National Post, Jessie H. O’Neill, the granddaughter of Charles Erwin Wilson, a one-time president of General Motors, first popularized the world “affluenza” in 1997 with her book The Golden Ghetto: The Psychology of Affluence.

No word yet on what new faux-medical terms can be used to tie in “sickness” with “poverty”, thus justifying an innate suffering due to socially economical disadvantages.

I’d be happy if the judge gave him just 72 hours. As long as those 72 hours were spent in a room with Tyrone and some of his friends and no cameras…

Thooj Ying

Wrong judgement, justice for all, the young man needs to serve probation 16 to 18 then 18 go to the jail for ever.

Tim

He is 18./\

Michelle

Where’s Dexter Morgan when you really need him?

George Williams

The answer to the final question, “was justice served” is cleverly diagnosed in the writers previous sentence about the lack of any similar terminology existing for poverty stricken kids, thousands of whom are now in juvenile detention centers for lesser crimes and who will be in prisons when they reach their majority.

steve

We all seem so quick to judge. What if he had hit a tree & killed himself, probably everyone would call it a tragedy, rich kid or not

Atwas911

I’d call it natural selection hard at work.

Aaron

He didn’t hit a tree, he murdered 4 innocent people. If he had hit a tree and killed himself, he would have saved a lot of more positive individuals from death and mourning of the deceased. Everyone is calling it a tragedy so I’m not sure what your point is. I think any reasonable person would agree that driving himself into a tree would have been a less terrible outcome.

don

No Steve if that was the case it wouldn’t have made any news. The reason this made news is because this shows that the wealthy rule and you can buy anything with money including a right to get away with murder.

Rod

Couch is alive….if he doesn’t use the rest of his life to rectify his wrong, then may karma make corrections,

http://www.abnormalbabble.com Abbab

Far to lenient on him, and I’m Canadian!

http://slrman.wordpress.com James Smith

“I was drunk and didn’t know what I was doing.” Is not an excuse, it is a confession. This spoiled rich kid belongs in a juvenile jail until he’s 18 ten ten more years in an adult prison.

If he survives to get out. He should never be permitted to drive again.

mark

$$ Money exchanging hands under the desk here. Must have been such a substantial amount the judge just couldn’t turn it down. If I cared I would be watching his financials as closely as law allows, and close family members and friends too. New Lamborghini in the shed?
That little punk-ass-bitch needs at least 10 years with day for day allowance. Wash dishes for a buck a day.

andrea

My heart hurts for the families. I can’t believe his father “taking him away from his family and teaching him responsibility is consequence enough.” How disgusting. He deserves far worse, even if his name is couch.

Rich Cat

If this afluenza were a real thing, this sentence will only make his condition that much worse

gary

If I were the father of one of those girls killed I would hunt him down seeing there’s no bars protecting him and make him wish he got a life sentence.I’d gladly accept life in prison our the death sentence for what I would do.

Steve

Ok so we can’t blame him? I think the little punk should pay 5 years for everyone that died. But if not him then the parents should be charged.

simone

i just hope he has some kind of remorse from what he did. if i was his parents i wouldnt pay shit. he should be on his hands and knees thanking God and his parents for giving him a 2nd chance at life bc not so many are as fortunate as him.

Jon donkey

As a republican, I believe those killed should be grateful to die at the hands of a benevolent future job creator, much better than getting killed by some poor person. Additionally 10 years probation is far to severe, stern talking to would be much more appropriate. Anyone who disagrees is a socialist bent on destroying America through class warfare. Instead of being jealous and angry, work hard so that you too can become ultra rich and murder people without consequence!

Newy Pop

I don’t think this situation actually requires us to see it through a political or ideological lens. It is about whether justice was served and whether the punishment was appropriate for the crime. Most people think that it was far too lenient and you don’t need a be a republican, democrat, or other political designation to see that.

Jon donkey

In all seriousness if affluenza is caused by an excess of money than I see a very easy cure some civil court could implement! If only fat was as easy to remove then we could beat obesity as well!

TK

The kid should receive the max sentence for killing 4 ppl. He is old enough to make his own choices then he needs to suffer the consequences for that!!! My Husband and I went out for Valentines last year for a couple of drinks. Got pulled over and my husband got 10 years probation and 7 years in jail…Were is the justice in all this?? I guess My husband and I need to be RICH to not be punished in the state of Texas!!